Official Statistics Show Car Accidents in San Antonio Area Rising

As anyone who lives here knows, the San Antonio metro area has been expanding at a rapid rate in recent years. For sure, the growth helps the economy and makes San Antonio an exciting, vibrant place to live. But it also has its complications, such as adding more vehicles than ever to area roads. Increasingly, our highways and multiple lane roadways carry more cars than they were designed to handle.

TxDOT Statistics Reflect the Boom

The traffic boom has led to rising crash totals in San Antonio and Bexar County. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), in 2014 the county saw 42,724 crashes reported. In 2015, the total reported rose to 48,294. In 2016, the figure jumped again to 52,633. That’s a roughly 25 percent rise in just two years.

Danger Times on Texas Roads: October, Saturday, and Whenever People Are Drinking

TxDOT stats also show there were no days in Texas without any crashes in 2016. The worst month for fatal and non-fatal accidents was October. Intoxicated drivers accounted for about 25 percent of all crashes. The most likely hours to be involved in a DUI-related accident in Texas were between 2 am and 3 am. Saturday was the worst day of the week for crashes.

What the Stats Suggest for Everyone’s Safety

TxDOT statistics also suggest some safety measures local citizens can take to prevent serious car accident-related injury and death:

• Take extra care driving during the peak accident times, particularly late at night on weekends, and during your evening commute.
• DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE! It’s led to a nationwide increase in accidents, and is only made worse by our local road crowding.
• 50 percent of riders injured in motorcycle crashes were not wearing helmets of any kind in 2016. If you’re not wearing a helmet on your motorcycle, you are increasing your risk exponentially of serious injury and death in an accident.
• The number of pedestrian injuries and bicycles involved in crashes rose 25 percent in the last two years, which makes sense considering the influx of new residents navigating San Antonio areas that are relatively new to them. It’s important for all area drivers to take heed and be extra-cautious of pedestrians and bicyclists.

Post-Accident Tips

Any San Antonian taking to the roads needs to know what to do in the event of a crash. Here are some tips borrowed from TxDOT that can be helpful:

1. Make sure anyone injured receives medical treatment, including yourself, right away.
2. Cooperate with law enforcement.
3. Try to gather information on the other persons in the crash, and if possible take pictures of the damage.
4. Exchange information to the other parties in the crash.
5. Try to find witnesses at the scene and get their information if possible.
6. Make sure to fill out required reports according to Texas law and the requirements of your insurance company.
7. Don’t give any statements to the other drivers, insurance agents or their legal representatives without first considering speaking with a lawyer of your own.

San Antonio Car Accident Attorney

At George Salinas Injury Lawyers, we frequently represent San Antonio area car accident victims and their families, including pedestrians and bicyclists injured in collisions with cars. If you have been injured in an accident on local roads, contact us today at (210) 225-0909, or online, for your free consultation to discuss your legal options.